1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved cooling device or cooling system for an information recording and play-back device of an external memory apparatus, for example an optical disk drive device, an optical magnetic disk drive device, etc., each of which is driven when information is recorded on the external memory and when information is played back therefrom.
2. Discussion of Background
In a conventional external memory apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a cooling fan 53 is fixed to a rear side panel 52 of the external memory apparatus to cool the disk drive device (e.g., an information recording and playback device) which is installed in a housing case 50. This cooling fan 53 discharges air from the housing 50 and draws in air from outside the housing such that air passes therethrough and thereby cools the disk drive device. The disk drive device 51, e.g. an optical disk drive or an optical magnetic disk drive, is preferably formed to be compact. However, the conventional apparatus requires an outlet or opening in the rear panel 52 of the housing of the same size as the cooling fan 53 so that the cooling fan 53 can be set in the outlet. Furthermore, a power-input connector 54, an interface connector 55 and additional functioning switches should be connected to or provided on the rear panel 5. This means that, despite efforts to make the drive device 51 compact, the overall disk drive apparatus cannot be as compact as desired.